Godsend

Tomorrow is my wife's birthday. To say I've been blessed by her is an understatement. A few days ago I was listening to a song by DC Talk and it describes how I feel on the eve of her special day:

Hoping, praying, I've been waiting
Everybody needs somebody to love
There's no question, straight from heaven
You're my angel, I'm so crazy for you

(chorus)
You're a godsend
A blessing from above
You've been God-sent to me
You're the godsend
I've been dreaming of
You're a godsend

Holding your hand, touching your face
I will love you now and always I swear
I will never forget that first moment we met
When two worlds collided and I found my best friend
(repeat chorus)

I was made for you, you were made for me
In this lonely world, we were meant to be in love

I will never forget that first moment we met
When two worlds, they crashed in
And I found my best friend
(repeat chorus)

Happy Birthday Schweetheart
Mark

Stuck on Stupid

I don't watch much TV. Quite frankly, TV is a waste of time most often, so I'd rather curl up on the couch with a good book to exercise my mind. When I do watch something, it's usually catching up on the news. But even that is fairly limited, because I can't take it all in. The 24-hour news cycle drives me crazy. Once in a while, I will tune into a football game and recently followed the exciting season of my kids favorite team in basketball: the Pitt Panthers. And then, when I am really lazy and in need of a good laugh, I'll watch America's Funniest Home Videos. Now there's a good mindless program to watch when you've just had enough serious stuff - a good place to get away from the stresses of the day, and a few moments away from world events...

Until last night. The premise on this program (I thought) was to award the person who had submitted the funniest video that night. There were plenty of videos that were funny... I mean really funny. You've seen the show, you know what it's about. But last night's winning video was more of a statement of the program's political alliance than it was about awarding $10,000 for a funny video clip. The winning video... are you ready for this? You probably already guessed it... The winners of $10,000 for the funniest video is a 2 or 3 year old child in a high-chair chanting 'Yes We Can' in response to his mom asking him to impersonate his favorite president. Are you kidding me? I was rolling over laughing. My sides are still hurting from the laughter. That had to be the funniest video I had ever seen. NOT.

Can we find something better to watch? Yes we can...

Sunday Evening Comic Relief

Purity and Unity

Therefore if there is any encouragement in Christ, if there is any consolation of love, if there is any fellowship of the Spirit, if any affection and compassion, make my joy complete by being of the same mind, maintaining the same love, united in spirit, intent on one purpose. The Apostle Paul wrote these words and we find them in his letter to the Philippians at the beginning of chapter 2.

It shouldn't take too much thought to get to what Paul is trying to convey to the Philippian church, and to us: UNITY. Does this mean we agree on every point? Does it mean we can't have differing opinions? Does it mean we're all mindlessly on the same page marching lock-step with every other Christian? Wayne Grudem makes a good case in his Systematic Theology book that the pursuit of PURITY in the church is tied to UNITY in the church. "We are to work for the purity of the visible church... and we must recognize that this is a process". Because it is a process and during that process different people will have different thoughts and ideas, UNITY is necessary to keep the process going in a healthy direction.

Grudem goes on to say that 'not all churches will respond well to influences that would bring them to greater purity'. Some churches will drift into liberal Protestantism, which are more man-centered and less God-centered. I think we see that all around us... churches that no longer put a premium on the infallable, inerrant Word of God. This kind of thinking is a cancer on the face of the modern church. How do we know if we're drifting into liberalism? Here are a few signs:
1). Our conversations and activities are of little spiritual content
2). There is little or no emphasis on the need for daily individual prayer concerns
3). We've become 'politically correct' instead of 'biblically correct' and replaced words like wretchedness and sin with words like ‘moral deficiencies’ and 'mistakes'.
4). There is little emphasis on the need for repentance and forgiveness
5). There is a severe lack of disciplined study and daily personal reading of scripture

To keep away from the DRIFT, with the help of Christ, we need to wake up every morning determined to set our minds on striving for PERSONAL PURITY and CORPORATE PURITY in the church… and to do so with a spirit of UNITY, letting inconsequential differences no longer divide us.

A Conservative We Can Appreciate!

I have a new favorite politician. Unfortunately, he isn’t a politician in our country. His name is Daniel Hannan of the British Parliament. In a very recent speech he says some very bold (and refreshing, I might add) words to British Prime Minister Gordon Brown. When is someone going to say these kinds of things to the spend-happy President of the United States? When is someone going to say these kinds of things to Nancy Pelosi? When is someone going to say these kinds of things to Harry Reid and the rest of the do-nothing-but-find-ways-to-spend-your-money congress? I love my country, but given the direction we're sliding in, maybe Mr. Hannan can come here and give our dangerous liberal leaders a piece of his mind for us. In fact, the way the weak-kneed, impotent Republicans are acting, maybe he can teach them a thing or two also. Here are Mr. Hannan’s words:

Prime Minister, I see you’ve already mastered the essential craft of the European politician, namely the ability to say one thing in this chamber and a very different thing to your home electorate. You’ve spoken here about free trade, and amen to that. Who would have guessed, listening to you just now, that you were the author of the phrase ‘British jobs for British workers’ and that you have subsidised, where you have not nationalised outright, swathes of our economy, including the car industry and many of the banks? Perhaps you would have more moral authority in this house if your actions matched your words? Perhaps you would have more legitimacy in the councils of the world if the United Kingdom were not going into this recession in the worst condition of any G20 country?

The truth, Prime Minister, is that you have run out of our money. The country as a whole is now in negative equity. Every British child is born owing around £20,000. Servicing the interest on that debt is going to cost more than educating the child. Now, once again today you try to spread the blame around; you spoke about an international recession, international crisis. Well, it is true that we are all sailing together into the squalls. But not every vessel in the convoy is in the same dilapidated condition. Other ships used the good years to caulk their hulls and clear their rigging; in other words – to pay off debt. But you used the good years to raise borrowing yet further. As a consequence, under your captaincy, our hull is pressed deep into the water line under the accumulated weight of your debt We are now running a deficit that touches 10% of GDP, an almost unbelievable figure. More than Pakistan, more than Hungary; countries where the IMF have already been called in. Now, it’s not that you’re not apologising; like everyone else I have long accepted that you’re pathologically incapable of accepting responsibility for these things. It’s that you’re carrying on, wilfully worsening our situation, wantonly spending what little we have left. Last year - in the last twelve months – a hundred thousand private sector jobs have been lost and yet you created thirty thousand public sector jobs.

Prime Minister, you cannot carry on for ever squeezing the productive bit of the economy in order to fund an unprecedented engorgement of the unproductive bit. You cannot spend your way out of recession or borrow your way out of debt. And when you repeat, in that wooden and perfunctory way, that our situation is better than others, that we’re ‘well-placed to weather the storm’, I have to tell you that you sound like a Brezhnev-era apparatchik giving the party line. You know, and we know, and you know that we know that it’s nonsense! Everyone knows that Britain is worse off than any other country as we go into these hard times. The IMF has said so; the European Commission has said so; the markets have said so – which is why our currency has devalued by thirty percent. And soon the voters too will get their chance to say so. They can see what the markets have already seen: that you are the devalued Prime Minister of a devalued government.

WOW!

What About Hypocritical Service to God?

Amos 5:21-24
I hate, I reject your festivals,
Nor do I delight in your solemn assemblies.
Even though you offer up to Me burnt offerings and your grain offerings,
I will not accept them;
And I will not even look at the peace offerings of your fatlings.
Take away from Me the noise of your songs;
I will not even listen to the sound of your harps.
But let justice roll down like waters
And righteousness like an ever-flowing stream.

Building the Faith of a Child

A few days ago I bought my youngest son a new bike. He had well outgrown the other one over the winter and with the weather getting nicer it was time to 'spring' for a new one. Today the back wheel was locking up and we had to take the bike back and make an exchange. Only problem was that we walked out empty handed. They didn't have a bike to replace the damaged one.

So we left with the cash in our pockets and my son was almost in tears now that he was bike-less. That's a tough spot to be in: six-and-a-half years old and no bike. I felt terrible. I was sad for him. I promised that we'd find one sooner or later. We went into another nearby store and they didn't have what we were looking for, so we left... even more dejected than before.

We jumped into the van to make the long sad ride home. I told my son that God cared about him and his bike situation and that if He saw fit, He'd provide him with a new one... and if not, we'll just try to be content and keep looking at another time. Just then I careened into the entryway of another local store on the way home and said 'buddy, lets try this place'. He didn't have much of a look of confidence but he agreed we should look.

We walked to the back of the store and their were hundreds of bikes. And there it stood, all shiny and gold. I think I saw a glow around it. He mounted the brand spankin' new bike with a wide grin and said, 'Hey Dad, I'd like to take this one home!' He literally pedaled the bike from the back of the store to the cash register, and may have had enough adrenaline to ride it the whole way home. He was one happy kid. On the ride home, he told me that he just knew God was going to find him a bike that he liked. "Do you think God was trying to teach you something about having faith?", I asked. "I think so, Dad".

I love that God would use a broken bike and then finding a new bike to teach a little boy (and his dad) about faith.

Prayers for My Children

Based on Psalm 119:1-11

May you walk in a way that is blameless.
May you walk in the law of the Lord.
May you keep His testimonies and seek him with your whole heart.
May you make every effort to do right and walk in God’s ways.
May you keep God’s precepts diligently.
May your ways be steadfast.
May your eyes be fixed on God’s commandments.
May you learn God’s rules with an upright heart.
May you keep your ways pure according to God’s word.
May you not wander from His commandments.
May you hide the Word in your hearts that you might not sin against God.

Sad News

Please join me in remembering a great icon of the entertainment community. The Pillsbury Doughboy died yesterday of a yeast infection and trauma complications from repeated pokes in the belly. He was 71.

Doughboy was buried in a lightly greased coffin. Dozens of celebrities turned out to pay their respects, including Mrs. Butterworth, Hungry Jack, the California Raisins, Betty Crocker, the Hostess Twinkies, and Captain Crunch. The grave site was piled high with flours.
Aunt Jemima delivered the eulogy and lovingly described Doughboy as a man who never knew how much he was kneaded. Doughboy rose quickly in show business, but his later life was filled with turnovers. He was not considered a very smart cookie, wasting much of his dough on half baked schemes. Despite being a little flaky at times, he still was a crusty old man and was considered a positive roll model for millions.

Doughboy is survived by his wife Play Dough, three children: John Dough, Jane Dough and Dosey Dough, plus they had one in the oven. He is also survived by his elderly father, Pop Tart. The funeral was held at 3:50 for about 20 minutes.

Not sure of the origin of this, but it came across my email a few days ago and thought I'd share it.

Breaking the Power of Pride

Leviticus. Now there's a book we don't refer to very often. A verse struck me this evening in Leviticus 26:19 - "And I will break down your pride of power". Pride is a dangerous thing. Pride puts us in a perilous position before God. The greater context of this verse has God rehearsing once again with the sons of Israel the blessings of obedience versus the penalties of disobedience. One of the consequences listed for disobedience was the pride of their power being broken down.

What does that mean? What is the pride of power? The dictionary gives a couple of good definitions of pride: 1). a high or inordinate opinion of one's own dignity, importance, merit, or superiority, whether as cherished in the mind or as displayed in bearing, conduct, or 2). pleasure or satisfaction taken in something done by or belonging to oneself or believed to reflect credit upon oneself. There are a few more definitions listed, but I don't need to insult your intelligence. You know what pride is. You and I both experienced it today, probably to a large degree.

Pride makes us feel good. We feel there is a certain amount of power attached to pride. But pride is Satan's effective tool to have us steal glory that belongs to God, because power is the rightful attribute of God alone. When we are prideful, are we not assuming that WE are powerful and WE deserve some of the glory? Any strength we have is a direct gift from God. He could snap his omnipotent finger and any strength or power we thought we had could instantly disappear. Just ask Bernard Madoff, Saddam Hussein, Adolph Hitler, Goliath or the builders of the Tower of Babylon. Pride eventually renders people useless, irrelevant, embarrassed, broken, unfruitful or dead. Is it worth the consequences?

God will break the power of pride with whatever method He chooses. The question is not 'IF', but 'WHEN'.

Action Words

I wondered this morning about the inactivity of myself and my fellow Christians. If we think about it, often times we are a bunch of immobile, sit-still, lay-down, bordering-on-lazy people. Even our minds are in 'park', our senses disengaged and dulled by the blue images radiating out of the electronic box in the corner of the livingroom. I sometimes find myself like a big, heavy, over-loaded truck parked along the side of the road, late for a delivery because I am out of gas or have a flat tire. Sluggish. Inactive. Immobile.

After my shower, my morning pre-work routine usually consists of briefly catching up on the news, pouring a bowl of Kashi Cinnamon Harvest, and then engaging in a refreshing reading in the book of Psalms. Today I found myself reading some 'action words'. Words that run counter to inactivity and immobility... You know, the kind of words or phrases that provoke you to want to 'do something', but at the same time strike you between the eyes because you know you've been like a sluggard turning in his bed like a door turning on its hinges... words like 'give' and 'call' and 'make' and 'sing' and 'speak' and 'seek' and 'remember'. Where are these punch-packing action words?

Psalm 105:1-5
Oh give thanks to the LORD, call upon His name;
Make known His deeds among the peoples.
Sing to Him, sing praises to Him;
Speak of all His wonders.
Glory in His holy name;
Let the heart of those who seek the LORD be glad.
Seek the LORD and His strength;
Seek His face continually.
Remember His wonders which He has done,

Lets get moving!

Precious Bible!

John Newton wrote the famous Christian hymn 'Amazing Grace'. I was surprised to learn how many other hymns this man wrote. Meditate on this Newton hymn, Precious Bible! What a Treasure...

Precious Bible! What a treasure
Does the Word of God afford?
All I want for life or pleasure,
Food and med’cine, shield and sword:
Let the world account me poor,
Having this I need no more.

Food to which the world’s a stranger,
Here my hungry soul enjoys;
Of excess there is no danger,
Though it fills, it never cloys:
On a dying Christ I feed,
He is meat and drink indeed.

When my faith is faint and sickly,
Or when Satan wounds my mind,
Cordials, to revive me quickly,
Healing med’cines here I find:
To the promises I flee,
Each affords a remedy.

In the hour of dark temptation
Satan cannot make me yield;
For the Word of consolation
Is to me a mighty shield
While the scripture truths are sure,
From his malice I’m secure.

Vain his threats to overcome me,
When I take the Spirits’ sword;
Then with ease I drive him from me.
Satan trembles at the word:
’Tis a sword for conquest made,
Keen the edge, and strong the blade.

Shall I envy then the miser
Doting on his golden store?
Sure I am, or should be, wiser,
I am rich, ’tis he is poor:
Jesus gives me in his word,
Food and med’cine, shield and sword.

Winning the War

William Gurnall suggests numerous ways in guarding against the assaults of the enemy. If your faith is ailing, he says, renew your repentance as if you had never repented. Put forth fresh acts of faith, as if you had never believed, and you will beat Satan at his own game. Gurnall says this is one way we maintain our assurance of salvation. If the devil continues to haunt you with fears of your spiritual condition, then appeal to God and hear the news from heaven, rather than listen to the tales your enemy brings from hell. If you would argue less with Satan and pray more to God about your fears, they would soon be resolved.

Sail away from the enemy and head straight for God's harbor. Make an honorable retreat into those assurances and strengths which Christ provides for his endangered soldiers.

Another way Gurnall states is helpful in the battling the sinking doubts of our faith is to tell a trusted Godly friend of your struggles, because it often brings relief. He says, 'you lose two blessings by keeping the devil's secrets - the counsel of your fellow brethren and their prayers. And what a serious loss it is!"

Fighting the good fight,
Mark

A Good Investment

I have some good investment advice. Even when Wall Street isn't doing so well, you are guaranteed a good return on this investment: buy good theology books. Read them. Study them. It goes without saying, that Christians ought to be spending time reading their Bibles, but buying theologically sound material and keeping it at your fingertips is one investment that doesn't go sour. I was thinking tonight about how blessed I am with good reading material. I like to read, and it follows that I spend alot of money on books. While some people I know are complaining and fretting about their 401K's and mutual funds in an uncertain economic climate, I am collecting all the blessings of the dividends that a library of theology pays.

I am half way through the first of three volumes of a work by Puritan author William Gurnall entitled The Christian in Complete Armour. I paid $19.99 for these paperback books and I can state confidently that so far, this has been one of the best books I have ever read. The author sheds much light on the warfare we are engaged in against our enemy the devil. He teaches the reader how to wear his armor, what the enemy's tactics are, how to be assured of victory, and other valuable information in the fight. The lessons learned from a work like this far exceed the price paid for the books. Does any mutual fund or stock provide this kind of return? Hardly.

Questions to Ask About Prayer

Biblically Oriented Questions I Need to Ask Myself About “Prayer”

Are my prayers so excessively self-centered and self-serving that God is barely listening?
For whom am I interceding? Am I using prayer to make ME feel better? Is it really about what I want anyway?
Job 1:1-5

Do I bore God with my prayers? Is there any passion in my communication to him that show that I really love him like I say that I do?

Am I attentive and alert when I pray or do I insult the King of the Universe by letting my mind wander?
Colossians 4:2

Am I using my prayer time unwisely? Am I unprepared when I come to prayer? Do I rush in and rush out of the presence of God?
Psalm 5:3

Is there some sin that I am holding onto with a white-knuckle grip and yet I dare approach the God who let his only Son die to save me from the guilt and stain of that sin?
Psalm 66:16-20

More Questions to Ask Myself About Prayer:

When I speak to God, do I speak to Him with infinitely more respect and honor than I would speak to my own earthly father?

The Word tells me to make my requests known to God. When I present my requests to Him, do I ask in a way that makes God my personal bell-hop who should answer at the snap of my fingers? Or am I really asking humbly in faith for things that would be according to His will? Am I expectant? Am I presumptuous?

In corporate prayer, who is my audience? Am I trying to impress someone else with the same old, stale, predictable, flowery language? Or is it really God I am talking to?

What kind of empty and trivial things can I remove from my life that distract me in prayer and cause my mind to be dull? Furthermore, what IMPORTANT things are also distracting me and cloud my thinking when I come to meet God in prayer? Are these things that important that they interrupt my fellowship with God? How will I set these things aside for awhile?

More questions than answers sometimes...

Our Footsteps

This morning I read the verse 1 John 2:6 which says “the one who says he abides in Him ought himself to walk in the same manner as He walked”. It reminded me of why I named this blog ‘Our Footsteps’… because the Bible is clear as to how we ought to walk. The steps we (I) take along the way each day she be a crystal clear reflection of what Christ has done in our lives. We ought to be walking as He walked: with love, compassion, humility, gentleness and in all obedience and faith. Check out these verses:

Psalm 34:23 - The steps of a man are established by the LORD,
And He delights in his way.

Psalm 119:133 - Establish my footsteps in Thy Word.

Proverbs 4:11-12 - I have directed you in the way of wisdom;
I have led you in upright paths.
When you walk, your steps will not be impeded;
And if you run, you will not stumble.

Proverbs 16:9 - The mind of man plans his way,
But the LORD directs his steps.

Proverbs 20:11 - It is by his deeds that a lad distinguishes himself
If his conduct is pure and right.

2 Corinthians 5:7 - we walk by faith, not by sight

Galatians 5:16 - But I say, walk by the Spirit, and you will not carry out the desire of the flesh.

Ephesians 2:10 - For we are His workmanship, created in Christ Jesus for good works, which God prepared beforehand so that we would walk in them.

Ephesians 4:1-3 - Therefore I, the prisoner of the Lord, implore you to walk in a manner worthy of the calling with which you have been called, with all humility and gentleness, with patience, showing tolerance for one another in love, being diligent to preserve the unity of the Spirit in the bond of peace

Ephesians 5:1-2; 8; 15-16
Therefore be imitators of God, as beloved children; and walk in love, just as Christ also loved you and gave Himself up for us, an offering and a sacrifice to God as a fragrant aroma… For you were formerly darkness, but now you are Light in the Lord; walk as children of Light. Therefore be careful how you walk, not as unwise men but as wise, making the most of your time, because the days are evil.

Philippians 1:27 - Conduct yourselves in a manner worthy of the gospel of Christ

Colossians 1:10-12 - Walk in a manner worthy of the Lord, to please Him in all respects, bearing fruit in every good work and increasing in the knowledge of God; strengthened with all power, according to His glorious might, for the attaining of all steadfastness and patience; joyously giving thanks to the Father

Colossians 2:6-7 - As you have received Christ Jesus the Lord, so walk in Him, having been firmly rooted and now being built up in Him and established in your faith

2 John 1:6 - And this is love, that we walk according to His commandments. This is the commandment, just as you have heard from the beginning, that you should walk in it.

Saturday Morning Sermon - Unequally Great, Dr. Arturo Azurdia III

Clueless

“Now I want you to know, brethren…”, Paul says in Philippians 1:12. It’s a common phrase that the Apostle uses. In this case, he was writing to the church at Philippi to let them know of his condition. With Paul being under house arrest, being in high spirits was the last thing they might be expecting. But, oh no… Paul didn’t want them having wrong thoughts about him or his condition or the progress of the gospel. He didn’t want them being clueless or ignorant of his situation.

Paul uses a similar phrase in Colossians 2:1, “For I want you to know”. And again in 1 Corinthians 11:3, “For I want you to understand”. Or yet in two more places, Romans 1:13 and 1 Corinthians 10:1, “…I do not want you to be unaware, brethren…”. Do you get the impression that Paul did not want the Christians of his time to be clueless, ignorant or unaware? How about in 1 Thessalonians 4:13? “We do not want you to be uninformed, brethren…”. Galatians 1:11: “For I would have you to know…”. The fact that Paul repeats himself (repeatedly), tells me that the Holy Spirit is emphasizing something to us.

Ours is a generation of Christians who are probably the most unaware in all of human history… am I right? Don’t we all (myself included) walk around in our own comfortable Christian bubble, completely oblivious of the spiritual famine around us? We’re unaware and I wonder why. We’ve developed spiritual calluses three feet thick and our hearts are like granite. All the while our relatives, friends and neighbors are running headlong through the wide gate that leads to destruction.

We professing believers (myself included again) are often unaware of our creation around us. We miss a delicate rose, a horse galloping in a field, even a beautiful sunset because from the moment the alarm clock goes off in the morning until our heads land in the pillow at night we are going 90 miles per hour. We ignore a baby's laugh, or are oblivious to an act of kindness - because we rush from one meeting to the next and from one shopping center to another... when one TV show is over we click to the other station. Clueless. Ignorant. Unaware.

“Now I want you to know”, that I plan to make some changes so I don’t remain in my clueless, ignorant, unaware state. Will you too?
Mark

Our Response to God’s Law

We are not under the Law but under grace, right? But if God had a purpose for giving the Law, then we certainly should have some response to it, shouldn't we? What is our response?

1). Learn It - Deuteronomy 5:1 – Hear, O Israel, the statutes and the ordinances which I am speaking today in your hearing, that you may learn them and observe them carefully.

Psalm 119:73 - Your hands made me and fashioned me;
Give me understanding, that I may learn Your commandments.

2). Obey It - Obedience results in BLESSING; Obedience results in WISDOM; Obedience results in LIFE
Deuteronomy 5:31-33 – But as for you, stand here by Me, that I may speak to you all the commandments and the statutes and the judgments which you shall teach them, that they may observe them in the land which I give them to possess. So you shall observe to do just as the LORD your God has commanded you; you shall not turn aside to the right or to the left. You shall walk in all the way which the LORD your God has commanded you, that you may live and that it may be well with you, and that you may prolong your days in the land which you will possess.

Joshua 1:8 - Do not let this Book of the Law depart from your mouth; meditate on it day and night, so that you may be careful to do everything written in it. Then you will be prosperous and successful.

Deuteronomy 4:5-6 - See, I have taught you statutes and judgments just as the LORD my God commanded me, that you should do thus in the land where you are entering to possess it. So keep and do them, for that is your wisdom and your understanding in the sight of the peoples who will hear all these statutes and say, ‘Surely this great nation is a wise and understanding people.

Deuteronomy 32:46-47a - Take to your heart all the words with which I am warning you today, which you shall command your sons to observe carefully, even all the words of this law. For it is not an idle word for you; indeed it is your life.

3). Love It - Psalm 119:97 - O how I love Your law! It is my meditation all the day.

4). Teach It - Deuteronomy 4:6-7 - These words, which I am commanding you today, shall be on your heart. You shall teach them diligently to your sons and shall talk of them when you sit in your house and when you walk by the way and when you lie down and when you rise up.

The Purpose of the Ten Commandments

God had some reasons for giving us the 10 Commandments (and the rest of the ‘Law’). What are some of the purposes?

1). To guide and direct His people in their relationship to Him

2). To guide and direct His people in their relationship to their fellow man

3). To ‘tutor’ us, teaching us that we are sinful
Romans 3:20 - by the works of the Law no flesh will be justified in His sight; for through the Law comes the knowledge of sin.
Galatians 3:24-25 - Therefore the Law has become our tutor to lead us to Christ, so that we may be justified by faith. But now that faith has come, we are no longer under a tutor.

4). To express His love for mankind -
Exodus 19:5-6a - Now then, if you will indeed obey My voice and keep My covenant, then you shall be My own possession among all the peoples, for all the earth is Mine; and you shall be to Me a kingdom of priests and a holy nation

5). To give mankind a means by which to show his love to God
John 14:15, 21, 24 - If you love Me, you will keep My commandments. He who has My commandments and keeps them is the one who loves Me; and he who loves Me will be loved by My Father, and I will love him and will disclose Myself to him. He who does not love Me does not keep My words; and the word which you hear is not Mine, but the Father’s who sent Me.

1 John 2:3 - By this we know that we have come to know Him, if we keep His commandments

The 10 Commandments from Exodus 20:1-17:
1Then God spoke all these words, saying,
2“I am the LORD your God, who brought you out of the land of Egypt, out of the house of slavery.
3“You shall have no other gods before Me.
4“You shall not make for yourself an idol, or any likeness of what is in heaven above or on the earth beneath or in the water under the earth.
5“You shall not worship them or serve them; for I, the LORD your God, am a jealous God, visiting the iniquity of the fathers on the children, on the third and the fourth generations of those who hate Me,
6but showing lovingkindness to thousands, to those who love Me and keep My commandments.
7“You shall not take the name of the LORD your God in vain, for the LORD will not leave him unpunished who takes His name in vain.
8“Remember the sabbath day, to keep it holy.
9“Six days you shall labor and do all your work,
10but the seventh day is a sabbath of the LORD your God; in it you shall not do any work, you or your son or your daughter, your male or your female servant or your cattle or your sojourner who stays with you.
11“For in six days the LORD made the heavens and the earth, the sea and all that is in them, and rested on the seventh day; therefore the LORD blessed the sabbath day and made it holy.
12“Honor your father and your mother, that your days may be prolonged in the land which the LORD your God gives you.
13“You shall not murder.
14“You shall not commit adultery.
15“You shall not steal.
16“You shall not bear false witness against your neighbor.
17“You shall not covet your neighbor’s house; you shall not covet your neighbor’s wife or his male servant or his female servant or his ox or his donkey or anything that belongs to your neighbor.”

Worry and Difficulty? Or Joy and Peace?

What do the following words have in common? skepticism, suffering, collapse, problem, crisis, predicament, worry, difficult, trouble, foreclosure, recession.

These are all words that our President of 'hope' used in his speech last week. I listened to part of the speech but had to turn it off for fear of plunging into despair with words like that!

It's no wonder 'joy' is absent from the lives of most people. They have put their trust, faith and confidence in an economic system that can never provide the joy and fulfillment that people are longing for. The things happening before our eyes in our country is a distraction for even the Christian. Even we get caught up in the uncertainty of our times and we lose our joy, or worse yet, we let something else steal our joy.

The Apostle Paul wrote the letter to the Philippians partially because he was bursting with joy. Paul wasn't too concerned about the Wall-Street-type predicaments of his day - in fact, he mentioned how he'd learned to be content in whatever circumstance he found himself in. Here was a man under house arrest and he was able to maintain his joy and peace regardless of his circumstances.

What brought Paul joy?
1). Reflecting and remembering - Philippians 1:3 - "I thank my God in all my rememberance of you". He no doubt was thinking of how Lydia and the Philippian jailer had been converted in Acts 16.
2). Praying for others - Philippians 1:4 - "always offering prayer with joy in my every prayer for you all". Who doesn't find joy in praying for another brother or sister... especially when we start to see answers to our intercessory prayers?
3). Participating in the gospel - Philippians 1:5 - "in view of your participation in the gospel from the first day until now". Some of my greatest times of joy have been in sharing the gospel... whether it was a ministry trip to feed and clothe the homeless or doing a bible study in the local jail or delivering Christmas presents to kids whose dads were locked up in prison... or whatever ministry work took place... this is joyful and rewarding participation in the gospel.
4). Confidence in God to bring things to fruition - Philippians 1:6 - "for I am confident of this very thing, that He who began a good work in you will perfect it until the day of Christ Jesus". Paul had unwavering confidence that God would finish what He started. That really is our only hope, that God will not leave us hanging by a thread or leave us out on a limb. He will finish the work, and that should bring anyone the joy that might otherwise seem elusive.
5). Affection and love for other believers - Philippians 1:8 - "how I long for you all with the affection of Christ Jesus". Paul wanted to be with his fellow Christians. He loved that kind of thing. I often find myself renewed, refreshed and encouraged after I've been with a Christian friend for breakfast. Fellowship with like-minded Christians is a source of great joy.

Grace to you and peace from God the Father and the Lord Jesus Christ,
Mark

Blessed Beyond Measure

I don't know how many blessings in a weekend one man can enjoy, but I will list three of them (although there were many more).

1). My parents celebrated 50 years of marriage yesterday (congratulations, Mom and Dad, I love you). As I shared at their party, this is a major accomplishment. The world defines 'success' in terms of money or status, but I see 'success' differently. Success is keeping a promise to each other and to God, for better or worse, richer or poorer, sickness and in health. That is success. And that is a blessing.
2). At the celebration, one individual stood up and shared some things I didn't know about my grandfather (who went to heaven some twenty years ago). He told my mom and dad about how much he appreciated my grandfather who had taught him Sunday School as a youth and how much of an impact he had in shaping his life. That too is a blessing.
3). My oldest son was baptized this morning at church. He gave his life to the Lord more than a year ago, and today he followed in obedience to go into the baptismal tank and show the world what Jesus Christ has done in his heart. At his young age, he understands that there is no saving grace in baptism. Salvation is not by an act or a work that we do. He understands that and now has wanted to be a young testimony to the public. He quoted John 1:1 to the leadership of the church as one of his favorite verses before the baptism service. He did great under the 'pressure' of the pillars of the church gathered around to hear why he wanted to go through with this solemn but joyous act. I was very proud of him. This event was a great blessing, not only for me, but for our whole family.

Blessed beyond measure,
Mark